Massaging device



y 1953 J. F. NANTZ 2,638,090

MASSAGING DEVICE Filed Feb. 5, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l :7 2'7 7 JZ'YJVZZILZZ z INVENTOR 24 1 I I W I I! I BY 7 I J l 1| I ATTORNEYS J. F. NANTZ 2,633,090 MASSAGING DEVICE May 12, 1953 Filed Feb. 5, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J I? NanZz INVENTOR 1 I BY ATTORNEYS Patented May 12, 1953 UNI TFEli-D .fS TATBES "PATFEN OFF MKSSAGIN G "DEVICE .JohmF. Nantz, Washington, :D. 10.

"ApplicationFebruary 5, 1952,?Se1ia2lfNoJ2 70g050 :5 Glaiims. H 1 ilms invention relates =to a massaging appara- *tus iies'igned primarily 'for ifoot massaging to exercise and massage the muscles and fi'oi-nts or the feet.

f li he primary object-of the invention is to -provlitzle "an apparatus or th'is dharaoter which will the :automatic in =op'eration, and one wherein the enercising and massaging e'ffect win be accomplished through the medium of water impulses :directed to expansible tubes against which the foot is he1d during the massaging and exercising tr'eatment.

lan important object of the invention is to uprovide a support "for the foot during treatments,

which support is made up of a ser-ies or tubes arranged side by side in :close proximity with :each'v'other, with means :ffor controlling the interthe invention consists of certain novel details of K construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure l is a side elevational view of an apparatus, constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the apparatus.

Fig. 4 is a sectional View taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional View taken on line of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the apparatus comprises the body portion indicated generally by the reference character 5, the body portion including the stationary section 6 which is formed with a substantially straight foot-engaging surface made up of a plurality of rubber or expansible plastic tubes I, which tubes extend throughout substantially the entire length of the rotate.

:2 stationary-section. Theseitubes are arrangedrin parallel =relation with respect to each otheryand in such proximity with respect to leach vother that "a substantially flat surface uprovitied against which the ibdttomz of the (foot rrests, .durin'gthe treatmerit.

The bottom section 6 is formed withsthesextension s, which is bored and constructed to iprovide a plurality of couplings 9 over which onetof the respective ends oi the tubes TI rare :position-edyithe "couplings i! being arranged in "a time along ':the extension 43. The loweraends not the tubes I are positioned over i the Lcouplings as L of itherextension M, which extension is ebored, sestabl-ishing acummunication with the couplings til, l-as 'IGIEEIIHY shown "by Fig. 8 loif @the ddrawings. iThe extensions-B and "I l extend beyond the rearisunfiace ;of the '-stationary:sec'tion 15 land :rare provided with valve seats formed :at Lthe tends .of the bores .12 of 'the extensions, the valueseats rbeingw arranged in lines along 1 the upper and lower surfaces @of the extensions 8 and I, providing supper and *lower rows or "valve s'eats. "The ends lOf the extensions 8 and II that extend rearwardly from the stationary section 6, are disposed within the valve housings [3 in which the double valves l4 operate, the double valves being so constructed and arranged within the housings l3 that they will move to close the bores I2 at one side of the extensions, while the bores I2 or valve seats at the opposite sides of the extensions are open. The double valves I4 are mounted on the shafts I5, to move with the shafts l5 as the shafts Extending from the shafts l5 are arms It, to which a rod II is connected, the rod I! being moved vertically through the gearing l8 operated by a suitable motor in the gear housing IS. The gearing l8 includes cam l8 that moves in contact with the pin l9 extending from the rod I! so that with each rotation of the cam [8 the rod 11 will be reciprocated to operate the valves I4 controlling the flow oi water to and from the tubes I and 28. One end of said rod I'I operates through the bracket 20 that is secured to the housing 13 at one end of the stationary section 6, the rod I! being biased in one direction by means of the coiled spring 21. character 22 indicates a fluid inlet pipe which maintains a volume of fluid in the housing l3 at one end of the section 6, from which fluid flows through the bores l2 at one end of the section B, the fluid passing through certain of the tubes I, the fluid finally exhausting through bores [2 formed in the extensions II at the opposite end The reference of the stationary section 6, from which the fluid exhausts through the outlet 23.

Forming a part of the apparatus, is the curved instep contacting section 24, which is pivotally connected with the stationary section 6, by means of a hinge 25, there being provided a coiled spring 26 wrapped around the pivot pin 21 forming a part of the hinge 25, with one of its ends secured to the stationary section, while the opposite end is secured to the curved instep contacting section, normally urging the curved instep contacting section inwardly towards the section 6.

The section 24 provides a support for the expansible tubes 28 which connect with the extension 8 through the couplings 29, so that fluid will pass through the tubes 28 to expand them, as the fluid passes into the communicating tubes 1 of the stationary section.

Thus it will be seen that due to the construction shown and described, I have provided an apparatus in which a foot to be treated may be positioned, and whereupon the fluid under pressure is directed to the tubes I and 24, alternately expanding and contracting the tubes to provide a massaging and exercising movement for treating the foot.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A foot massaging device comprising a body including a stationary section and a movable section between which the foot is positioned, means for urging the movable section towards the stationary section clamping the foot therebetween, flexible tubes covering the inner surfaces of the sections contacting with the foot positioned within the body, and means for intermittently admitting and exhausting fluid from the device, expanding said tubes against the foot.

2. A foot massaging device comprising a body including a stationary section and a movable section between which a foot is clamped, a plurality of parallel flexible tubes extending across the body against which the foot is held, means for admitting fluid to the tubes, intermittently expanding and contracting adjacent tubes massaging the foot held within the body.

3. In a massaging device comprising a body including a stationary section and a section pivotally connected with the stationary section between which the foot is gripped, a plurality of parallel flexible tubes extending longitudinally of the sections and providing a foot contacting surface, means for admitting fluid under pressure to said tubes intermittently expanding the tubes into contact with the foot, and valves for releasing fluid from the tubes.

4. A foot massaging device comprising a body including a stationary section and a movable section pivotally connected with the stationary section, a plurality of parallel flexible tubes extending longitudinally of the sections providing a foot contacting surface, said tubes being arranged in groups, means for supplying fluid intermittently to the groups of tubes and exhausting fluid from said groups of tubes, massaging the foot held therein.

5. A foot massaging device comprising a body including a stationary section and a section pivotally connected with the stationary section, means for urging the pivoted section towards the stationary section clamping a foot therebetween, extensions formed at the upper and lower ends of the stationary section, flexible tubes connected with the extensions and extending over the inner surfaces of the stationary section and pivoted section, said tubes contacting with the foot held within the body, said extensions having bores through which fluid passes to the tubes, valves controlling the passage of fluid to and from said extensions, and means for intermittently operating the valves effecting intermittent expansion and contraction of the tubes massaging the foot within the body.

JOHN F. NANTZ. No references cited. 

